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CONSTITUTION 



OF THE 



GENERAL SOCIETY OF 
COLONIAL WARS 



ADOPTED MAY loth, iSgj. 



Subject to Approval at an Adjourned Meeting 
OF THE General Assembly. 



H. K. BREWER & CO., 

STATIONERS AND PRINTERS, 

33 Nassau Street, 
New York. 



3 



PREAMBLE. 

Wliereas, It is desirable tiiat tliere siiould be adequate celebrations 
commemorative of the events of Colonial History liappening from the 
settlement of Jamestown, Va. , May 13, 1G07, to the Battle of Lexington, 
April 19, 1775. 

Therefore, The Society of Colonial Wars has been instituted to 
perpetrate the memory of these events and of the men, who in Military, 
Naval and Civil positions of high trust and responsibility, by their acts 
or counsel assisted iu the establishment, defense and preservation of the 
Arat^rican Colonies, and were in truth the founders of this Nation. With 
this end in view it seeks to collect and preserve manuscripts, rolls 
and records ; to provide suitable commemorations or memorials relating 
to the American Colonial period, and to inspire in its Members the 
paternal and patriotic spirit of their Forefathers, and in the Community 
respect and reverence for those whose public services made our freedom 
and unity possible. 



CONSTITUTION. 



ARTICLE I. 



NAME OF SOCIETY. 



The Society shall be known by the name and title of the General 
Society of Colonial Wars. 



ARTICLE 11. 

MEMBERSHIP. 

Any male person above the age of twenty-one years of good moral 
character and reputation shall be eligible to membership in the Society of 
Colonial Wars who is descended from an ancestor 

1. Who fought in battle under Colonial authority prior to the 
year 1700. 

2. Or who served as a Governor, Deputy Governor, Lieutenant 
Governor, or member of the Council, or as a Military, Naval or Marine 
officer in the service of the Colonies or under the banner of Great Britain 
in North America in the wars in which said Colonies participated or 
furnished troops from the settlement of Jamestown, Virginia, May 13^ 
1607, to the Battle of Lexington, April 19, 1775. 

3. A descendent of men, who by their conspicuous services in mili- 
tary, official or legislative life during such last mentioned period, assisted 
in perpetuating the American Colonies. 



Gift 

Mrs. Julian Jamoe 

1912 



ARTICLE III. 

GENERAL SOCIETY. 

The Gknkral Society of Colonial Waks shall consist of the societies 
now existing in the States of New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, 
Massaoiii'setts, Connkotioitt and District of Columbia, and such other 
State societies as may be from time to time duly organized and authorized 
by the General Society after its organization. 

ARTICLE IV. 

OFFICERS. 

The officers of the General Society of Colonial Warp shall be : a 
Governor General, a Deputy Governor General from each State of the 
Society, a Secretary Genei-al, a Deputy Secretary General, a Treasurer 
General, a Deputy Treasurer General, a Register General, a Hislorian 
General, a Chancellor General, a Chaplain General and a Surgeon General. 
With the exception of the Deputy Governor Generals the above officers 
shall bo elected by a plurality vote of the Delegates present at a general 
assembly of the society. The Deputy Governors General shall be elected 
by a plurality vole of the delegates to the General Assembly from the State 
from which said Deputj' Governor General is chosen. The above officers 
shall serve until the next General Assembly, or until their successors are 
duly chosen. 

ARTICLE V. 

MEETINGS. 

The regular meetings of the General Society shall be termed General 
Assemblies, and shall be held once every three years at such time and 
place as the preceding General Assembly may elect. Special Assemblies 
may be held upon the order of the Governor General, or upon the request 
of three of the State Societies. Assemblies shall consist of the General 
Officers and five delegates from each State Society. Five delegates and 
two General Officers shall constitute a (luorum for the transaction of busi- 
ness which shall be conducted according to parliamentary law. 

The following order of business, so far as the same may be applicable 
shall be followed : 

1. The General Assembly called to order by the Senior Officer pre- 
sent. 

3. Prayer l>y the Chaplain General. 

3. Reading of Minutes of last General Assembly. 

4. Report from the Secretary General. 



5. Report from the Treasurer General. 

6. Report from Committees and Officers. 

7. Unfinished business. 

8. New business. 

9. Reports from State Societies. 

10. Election of Officers. 

11. Benediction by the Chaplain General. 



ARTICLE VI. 



STATE SOCIETIES. 

Each State Society shall annually transmit to the Secretary General a 
circular letter stating the number of its membership, general matters of 
interest, and any suggestions which may be deemed for the advantage of 
the Society. Each State Society shall in the mouth of January in each 
year pay to the Treasurer General the sum of Twenty-five dollars. 



ARTICLE VII. 

POWERS OF THE GENERAL SOCIETY. 

The General Society shall not interfere in the regulations or govern- 
ment of any State Society, unless by a plurality vote of the General 
Assembly, when the sun-ender of a State Charter may be demanded, 
should an investigation show that such action is necessary for the welfare 
of the societies at large. The General Officers or a majority of them shall 
have the power to grant Charters to States other than those in which the 
Society is already organized, provided at least, twenty persons duly 
qualified to be members make such application. The General Society 
shall issue the certificate of membership and shall publish the Year Book 
of the Society, with the co-operation of the several State Societies, and 
the cost shall be defrayed by them proportionate to their membership. 



ARTICLE VIII. 

GOVERNOR GENERAL. 

The Governor General or in his absence, a duly selected Temporary 
Presiding Officer shall preside at all General Assemblies and meetings of 
said General Officers of the Society, and shall exercise the duties of a 
presiding Officer subject to an appeal to the Assembly or meeting of said 
General Officers. 



ARTICLE IX. 

SECRETARY GENERAL. 

The Serrotary General shall be the Keeper of the Great Seal of the 
Society and also of the General Society Flag. He shall conduct the 
general correspondence of the Society, and keep a record thereof. He 
shall have charge of the printing and publications of the Society. He 
shall give due notice of the time and place of the holding of allj General 
As8emblit3s and Meetings of OfRccrs. He shall keep fair and accurate 
records of all proceedings of the General Assembly and meetings of 
Officers. 

ARTICLE X. 

TREASURER GENERAL. 

The Treasurer General shall collect and keep the funds and securities 
of the Society, and deposit and invest them subject to the direction of the 
Board of Officers. Out of these funds, he shall pay such sums as may be 
ordered by the Board of Officers. He shall keep a true account of his 
receipts and payments and at each General Assembly, or when required 
by the Board of Officers shall render an account of the same. For the 
faithful performance of his duty he may be required to give such security 
as the General Assembly or Board of Officers may deem proper. 

ARTICLE XL 
REGISTRAR GENERAL. 

It shall be the duty of each State Society to file with the Registrar 
General a duplicate of the application of each member elected. 

The Registrar General shall receive and file all duplicate applications 
upon which membership has been granted, with a list of all diplomas 
signed by him and all documents which the Society may obtain. 

ARTICLE XII. 
HISTORIAN GENERAL. 
The Historian General shall keep a detailed record of all Historical 
and Commemorative General Celebrations of the Society, and shall edit 
and prepare for publication such Historical Addresses, Papers, and other 
Documents, as the Society may see fit to publish, and also a Necrological 
List for each year with biographies of deceased members. 

ARTICLE XIII. 
CHAPLAIN GENERAL. 

The Chaplain General shall be an ordained Minister of a Cnristian 
Church, and it shall be his duty to officiate when called upon by the proper 
officers. 



ARTICLE XIV. 
CHANCELLOR GENERAL. 
The Chancellor General 

ARTICLE XV. 
SURGEON GENERAL. 

The Surgeon General 

ARTICLE XVt. 
THE SEAL. 
The Seal of the Society General shall be 

ARTICLE XVII. 
THE INSIGNIA. 
The Insignia of the Society shall be the same as adopted by the New 
York State Society. 



It shall be worn by the members on all occasions when they assemble 
as such for any stated purpose or celebration and may be worn on any 
occasion of ceremony ; it shall be worn conspicuously on the left breast, 
but membei's who are or have been Gentlemen of the Council of a State 
Society may place a rosette of regulation pattern upon the silk band from 
which it is pendant. Members who are or have been General Officers or 
officers of a State Society may wear the Insignia with three Jewels in the 
crown and suspended from a regulation ribbon around the neck. Members 
who are or have been Governors, Deputy Governors, or Lieutenant Gov- 
ernors of State Societies, or officers of the General Society may in addition 
to the Insignia so suspended wear a ribbon of the Societies colors three 
and one-half inches in width extending from the right shoulder to the left 
hip. For State Officers worn under and for General Officers worn over the 
waist-coat. 



8 

ARTICLE XVIIl. 
DIPLOMA. 
The Diploma of this Society shall be 

ARTICLE XIX. 
FLAG. 

ARTICLE XX. 
STATE SECRETARIES. 

It shall be competent for the General Officers at any meeting to 
appoint State Secretaries in States where no State Societies exist, with a 
view to represent the interests of this Society, and if authorized to do so, 
prepare for the establishment of new State Societies. 

Such State Secretaries shall be subject to the direction and regulation 
of the Board of General Officers ; their appointment shall be for a limited 
term not to exceed a year, but may be renewed. 

They may be removed for cause and their office shall terminate upon 
the organization and charter of a Society in their State. They shall com- 
municate with and receive communication from the Society through the 
Secretary General. 

ARTICLE XXL 

The General Society or its officers shall elect to membership only, 
Charter Members of new State Societies whose membership shall be Ipsk 
Facto transferred to their own State Society, with the grant of its Charter. 

No State Society shall elect to membership persons resident within 
the territory of another State Society, but members changing residence 
from one State to another, or coming within the jurisdiction of a new 
State Society may, at their option, retain membership in the State Society 
to which they were originally admitted. 

A member of any State Society may be admitted to membership 
by action of the Council of another State Society, within the bounds of 
which he is resident, upon satisfactory proof of his membership in good 
standing in the Society from which he comes, and subject to the rules and 
regulations of the Society he enters. 

ARTICLE XXIL 
ALTERATIONS OR AMENDMENTS. 

No Alteration or Amendment of this constitution shall be made 
unless proposed by a Council of a State Society in writing. The Secretaiy 
shall send a printed copy of the proposed amendment to each State Society 
and state the time when, and the place where, it will be voted upon. Six 
mouths notice must be given to each Society. No amendment shall be 
made unless adopted by a two-thirds vote of the State Societies composing 
the General Assembly. 



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